The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-05-20
NEW Constructive CURE.
Its Methods and Results Described by 8
Medical Periodical.

Its Methods and Results Described by
Medical Periodical
A large share of professional and
public attention has quite recently
been directed to the administration OF
gaseous enemata for the treatment OF
blood poisoning and of affections of
the respiratory passages. The object
in view is to supply to the venOus circu-
lation an antiseptic, such as hydrogen
sulphide, in sufficient doses to be eff
fective-a result impossible when sup
piled directly to the arterial current,
a plan which would poison the patient.
Hydrogen sulphide in far less than suf-
ficient doses would suffocate the pa
tient; taken by the stomach, it would
produce other serious results. Admin
istered by the bowels, however, and
entering the Venous current already de-
Perforated by organic refuse, it is quick.
ly eliminated by the respiratory tract,
which thus becomes subjected to it,
beneficial local antiseptic effects with
out subjecting the system at large to
injury, as when thrown into the ar.
terial current. In other words, the
parasite is killed, without killing the
individual. Its beneficial effects in
phthisis are explained by the action o
the gas on the suppurative and sept,
surfaces, and not by any influence or
the bacillus tuberculosis; the consump.
ton proper, the exhaustion, being due
to the suppuration and to the cOnse-
quent septic@mia, and not imme-
diately to the bacillus, which,
while it produces the destruction
of tissue, does not produce the
morbid phenomena. The method
of administration utilities the dis
covery announced by Bernard in 1857.
that toxic materials introduced into
the economy through an organ at
distance from the arterial system coul6
not penetrate into the arterial system
because it is eliminated before that
system can be reached. Volatile sub.
stances are eliminated by the pulmon-
airy alveoi.
July y, 1886, DR.. Bergeon commu.
nicated to the French Academy OF
Sciences the results of several years
investigation into the method, and
Prof, Cornil also presented a later pa
per on the subject.
Various antisephc gases and vapors
have been tried, but abandoned on ac-
count of local irritant action, but
mixture of carbon dioxide (carbonic
acid gas) and hydrogen sulphide (sul.
pheretted hydrogen is entirely harm
less when properly used and com
pletely deprived of atmospheric air.
The method has up to the present been
used upon about one hundred cases in
this city without any untoward effects,
so far as known, except in one or two
instances, one of which was due to a
leaky bag and another to incorrect
administration. 1t is, perhaps, too
soon to decide positively on the thera-
peutic value of the new method, but il
seems in the experience in this city
to have the special quality of diminish
ing night sweats and improving the
appetite.
In Bergeon's cases the trifing ex-
pectorations of those apparently prac-
tieally cured continued to contain
baeilli. This fact may be taken both
for an indication that the immediate
danger in phthisis is less from the
baccilli than from the septicemia which
they set MP. and as an indication that
this protective treatment, when sue
cessful. should not be discontinued
until the general heslthiness of the
tissues i sufficiently restored to resist
the further development and susie
nance of the bacillus tuberculosis
Philadelphia Polytechnic.